Tuesday Morning
Forbes Residence
Ginny pulled her eyes open again to find Jim laughing at her.
“Wake up, sleepyhead! It’s time to go.”
They had finished packing last night and agreed that Jim should have breakfast at her house before they took off. Her mother had cooked and Ginny was grateful, but Ginny was not a morning person. She spooned another bite of eggs into her mouth, finished off the juice, poured the coffee into a travel cup, and shook her head, trying to clear it of the cobwebs.
“Okay. I’m ready.”
“You are not!” He was laughing again.
“What?”
He pointed at her feet. No shoes.
“Oh.” She put the cup back down, then hurried upstairs to finish dressing. Her mother followed her up.
“Are you all right, darling?”
She nodded through the toothpaste. “I’ll be fine. What about you? Will you be all right without me?”
“Of course. Himself will take good care of me.”
“We’ll call when we get in tonight, but it may be late.”
“Call anyway.”
Ginny slipped on her shoes, hurried down the staircase, handed Jim the coffee thermos, then gave her mother a hug.
“Have a safe trip,” Mrs. Forbes said.
“I’ll take good care of her,” Jim promised.
Ginny climbed up into the passenger side of the van. Jim closed the door on her, then took his place behind the wheel. He grinned at her as they turned the corner.
“Alone at last!”
“Don’t get any ideas,” she warned. “Remember, this is just a cover story, not a honeymoon.”
She saw his eyes light up at the word, but he said nothing, just continued to smile to himself.
* * *
Tuesday Morning
Dallas, TX
Jim steered the van northeast to the suburb Reggie had chosen as a rendezvous point. He still wasn’t happy about the choice of vehicle, but it handled okay and he had to admit that it made a very unlikely get-away car. No one would give them a second glance.
Ginny pointed out the store. “There it is.”
“What’s our excuse for pulling off the road so soon?” Jim asked.
“I need Texas souvenirs to use as hostess gifts and they have to be purchased before we leave the state.”
They located the Texas knick-knacks and selected amusing items for each of the Homesteads they would be visiting, then made their way to the camping section.
Reggie had been specific. They were to purchase something large enough to require the loading dock.
They settled on a generator. It was small enough to fit easily in the back of the van, but heavy. It would require male muscle to get it in. They paid for their purchases, then drove around to the back of the store.
Jim examined the set-up and silently approved Reggie’s choice. The area had a recessed approach, an overhanging roof, parking spaces you could pull into that protected customers and staff from the rain, and poor lighting. He looked for, but did not see any cameras.
He parked, then got out and went around to open the back. Ginny did the same on the passenger side, opening the side door and re-arranging something in the middle compartment. Two workers in safety vests approached, the generator perched on a dolly between them.
Jim stepped out of the way and let them hoist the box into the space he had cleared for it, then closed up and walked back to the driver’s side door. He glanced up in time to see one of the workers re-enter the store with the dolly. The other had vanished.
He waited until Ginny was settled, then put the car in gear and backed out, looking over his shoulder to make sure he didn’t run into anything.
“You all right back there?” he asked.
“Fine. Thanks for the lift.”
“You’re welcome. Keep your head down.”
Jim maneuvered back out onto the highway. In ten minutes they were beyond the immediate metropolitan area and on their way.
* * *
Tuesday Midmorning
Forbes Residence
Detective Tran pulled up in front of the Forbes’ house and got out. The door was opened by Mrs. Forbes.
“I would like to speak to Miss Forbes, please.”
“I’m afraid you’ve just missed her. She and Jim, Dr. Mackenzie, left this morning. Is there something I can help you with?”
“She is gone?”
Mrs. Forbes nodded. “For two weeks, maybe a bit more.”
“May I ask why? I mean, why now?”
“She said finding the body upset her. She had some vacation time available and decided to use it.”
“I see. Thank you very much.” Tran took her leave and headed back to her car, thinking hard.
It could be true. It could be that the artless Miss Forbes who had been visibly distressed by the discovery of the body had truly needed a vacation to recover from the shock. The smitten Dr. Mackenzie would leap at a chance to take her away and spend some quality time with her, just the two of them. No surprise there. Why drive, though? Winter vacations usually meant an airplane ride and lift tickets.
Mr. Monroe had been missing now for four days. There was no reason to think he had waited around, then hitched a ride with the young couple. He would just be in their way. Nor was there any reason to think that either Miss Forbes or Dr. Mackenzie would knowingly engage in criminal behavior. Both had too much to lose. And yet—
Detective Tran put the car in gear and drove back to the office. She had some thinking to do.
* * *